Oct 6, 2007 3:00 pm US/Eastern
Sam's Club Recalls Beef Patties For E. Coli
Frozen Patties Were Made By Cargill
MINNEAPOLIS (CBS) ―
The Sam's Club warehouse chain has pulled a brand of ground beef patties from its shelves nationwide after four children who ate the food, produced by Cargill Inc., developed E. coli illness.
Officials are telling anyone who purchased the patties on or after Aug. 26, 2007 to throw them away or return them to the store for a refund.
The patties have an expiration date of Feb. 12, 2008, Sam's Club said in a statement. They were coded UPC 0002874907056 Item .700141.
"These ground beef patties are in people's freezers in their homes," said Dr. Kirk Smith, Minnesota Department of Health Foodborne Diseases specialist. "We want to get the word out so they definitely don't eat them. Throw them away or take them back to Sam's club. By all means, don't use them."
The four children became ill from E. coli bacteria last month after eating ground beef patties purchased at three Sam's Club stores in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, the Minnesota Department of Health said Friday.
All four cases were related to American Chef's Selection Angus Beef Patties that were purchased at Sam's Club stores in the Twin Cities metro area, reports CBS station WCCO-TV in Minneapolis.
Two of the cases developed hemolytic uremic syndrome and were hospitalized. One case has been discharged and one remains hospitalized.
Heidi Kassenborg from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said that the Sam's Club stores involved include the Eagan, Maple Grove and White Bear Lake stores, but that it isn't certain if meat from other locations could also be involved.
"We want our members to know we are doing all that we can to resolve this matter with our supplier and the appropriate agencies," Sam's Club said in a statement.
The Minnesota Department of Health is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine the source of the product contamination. The meat was processed at a Cargill-owned facility in Butler, Wis., a suburb of Milwaukee.
Symptoms of E. coli include stomach cramps and diarrhea. People who have developed those symptoms after eating the patties should contact their doctor.
Sam's Club warehouse is owned by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, based in Bentonville, Ark.
The Cargill recall comes on the heels of Elizabeth, N.J.-based Topps Meat Co.'s recall of 21.7 million pounds of ground beef amid E. coli concerns. The recall - the second-largest beef recall in U.S. history - caused Topps on Friday to announce that it's going out of business.
The source of the E. coli contamination at Topps is still under investigation.
USDA spokeswoman Sharon Randle said Saturday that there is no relation between the Cargill and Topps cases.
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